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Bentley Wittman (Earth-616)
| Identity = No Dual | Alignment = Bad | Affiliation = , , , Former partner to Mysterio & Plantman, | Relatives = Salamandra (ex-wife), Cole Wittman (daughter), Thirty-Two (clone) | Universe = Earth-616 | BaseOfOperations = Subterranean HQ, Manhattan, NY, Formerly Water Tower, Queen's, NY, Formerly Wizard's suburban home, NY | Gender = Male | Height = 5'8" | Weight = 150 lbs | Eyes = Hazel | Hair = Brown | UnusualFeatures = | Citizenship = American | MaritalStatus = Divorced | Occupation = Inventor, criminal mastermind, chess champion, former stage magician & escape artist. | Education = Multiple doctorates in various sciences | Origin = | PlaceOfBirth = | Creators = Stan Lee; Jack Kirby | First = Strange Tales #102 | Death = | HistoryText = Early Life Dr. Bentley Wittman grew up possessing near-superhuman levels of genius and, as an adult, became an inventor of great renown, selling his futuristic inventions to the wealthy and becoming quite rich. He became known as "The Wizard" by legally assuming this stage name and using his advanced scientific inventions to perform feats of "magic." Facing the Fantastic Four Intellectually bored, however, he decided to defeat Johnny Storm, who had just appeared to the world as the Human Torch. Pretending to be a victim, he was rescued by the Torch and invited him to his high-tech, futuristic mansion on Long Island where he captured the Torch with ease. The Wizard then impersonated the Torch, launching a crime spree to destroy the Torch’s reputation. Soon after the Wizard was captured and sent to prison by the Human Torch and the secretly helpful Invisible Girl. The Wizard clashed many more times with the Human Torch until the conclusion of one encounter sent him flying uncontrollably upward by one of his anti-gravity discs, unable to descend safely. He was rescued by two other adversaries of the Torch: the Sandman and Paste-Pot Pete (soon after, the Trapster). After he suggested they team up, a suggestion by the Trapster inspired him to form a team that would be a criminal counterpart to the Fantastic Four, with himself, his two rescuers, and Medusa, who was then suffering from amnesia; becoming the Frightful Four. The Frightful Four proved to be one of the most formidable menaces that the Fantastic Four had yet encountered. The Frightful Four raided the Fantastic Four's Baxter Building headquarters, and affixed the Wizard's anti-gravity discs to the four (minus Johnny) and Alicia Masters, who managed to alert the Torch with the Invisible Girl's flare gun. Johnny soon appeared and forced the Wizard to use his anti-grav ship to free his team members before they floated into airless space. Then, together they beat the Frightful Four until the Wizard and the Sandman exploded the Wizard's ship as a distraction, and escaped. Later, kidnapping the Invisible Girl, they lured the Fantastic Four to a Pacific atoll where they rigged an experimental "Q-bomb" to detonate. The Fantastic Four narrowly escaped. However, the Frightful Four gave the Fantastic Four their first defeat at the end of an issue and it resulted in the loss of the Fantastic Four's powers. Weeks later, the Frightful Four made their third attempt. Capturing the Thing, the Wizard used his "Id Machine" to simulate the Thing's natural tendencies toward violence and brainwash him into obeying the Wizard's commands. The Invisible Girl, The Torch and Mr. Fantastic were all defeated and restrained in traps suited to defeat their specific powers. Torch and Mr. Fantastic were able to free themselves, but captive in a specially coated plastic bag that Medusa urged Trapster to create, the Invisible Girl was totally helpless. The Torch freed her in the next issue. The Fantastic Four finally managed to subdue the Frightful Four, then all but Medusa were turned over to the authorities. The Wizard later broke out from prison, after helping the Sandman escape , and fought the Fantastic Four on his own. He created a set of wonder gloves to enhance his powers, but the four (minus Susan) beat him and took his gloves. Next, he created more powerful ones that would mimic the powers of the four, however he was unprepared to face the elemental powers of their newest member-Susan's replacement and the sister of Medusa-the Inhuman Crystal. Using her powers, she managed to counteract his and send him fleeing away. Crystal proved that she was a very worthy replacement for the Invisible Girl. In his continued quest to crush the Fantastic Four, the Wizard has tried many iterations of the Frightful Four. He twice brought Medusa back into the ranks, but, as she was no longer a criminal, having since regained her memories, she betrayed them both times. He also never succeeded in finding a permanent replacement for her. His first choice, Thundra, also ended up allying herself with the Fantastic Four as Medusa did. Others who joined the team for a time included Electro, Llyra, and the Brute (Reed Richards of the original Counter-Earth). When the Sandman appeared to give up his life of crime, the Wizard formed a new team with Hydro-Man, Klaw, and Titania. But however formidable, the Frightful Four have always been thwarted by their heroic counterparts. Very rarely has the Wizard operated outside of the Frightful Four. Once, he formed a partnership with Mysterio , but was foiled by Spider-Man. Another time, he teamed up with the Plantman to escape prison and ran into a conflict with the Avengers. He was later broken out of prison by Loki to join an assemblage of villains organizing acts of vengeance against the Avengers, but he was sorely defeated. Often avoiding the limelight that he once embraced, the Wizard hoped to hide from authorities using his former name Bentley Wittman. He was found by the Thunderbolts, however, who convinced the Wizard to provide anti-gravity discs in order for them to battle Graviton. Later still, when the Sandman had appeared to reform his criminal ways, the Wizard took it upon himself to subject his former ally to his id machine, re-integrating the Sandman’s mind and restoring him to villainy. Finally, when the Fantastic Four’s popularity reached an all-time low, the Wizard decided it was time to re-form the Frightful Four once more. No longer motivated by petty jealousy, the Wizard believed the Fantastic Four to be the source of all his troubles, his fall from grace. He rescued the Trapster from the Negative Zone, boosted the powers of Hydro-Man, and called upon his ex-wife, Salamandra, to round out the Frightful Four. He also manipulated Cole, his and Salamandra's daughter, to develop a relationship with the Human Torch in order to teleport to her and bypass the Fantastic Four’s defenses. During the resulting battle, the Wizard turned on the Trapster, revealing that he intended Cole to be the next member of the Frightful Four. When the Frightful Four defeated the heroes, the Wizard flaunted his success on television and left them humiliated. However, when the Wizard admitted that he only wanted to include Cole once he saw her exhibit superhuman powers, she turned on him. She sought out the Fantastic Four to lead them back to her father and to try to find a cure for her powers. The Wizard and Cole confronted each other, and Cole used one of the Trapster’s traps to ensnare her father, then used her powers over gravity to bring the Wizard’s lair down around him. Future Foundation Wizard joined the Future Foundation in Reed Richards' attempt to defeat the other Richards from other realities that threatened this universe. Apparently, after the appearance of the Inhumans at High Evolutionary's city, Wizard quit the team. Death and Return After developing the Zero Cannon along with the Intelligencia, the Sinister Six attacked them to rob the weapon, which had the power is send specific objects to space. Doctor Octopus proposed to M.O.D.O.K. to use the weapon in a fight where only one team could survive, during which Wizard was sent to space, presumably resulting in his death. After the battle, M.O.D.O.K. was expelled from Intelligencia's base by Doc Ock, swearing that he would find a way to revive the dead members. Apparently, M.O.D.O.K. managed to revive the dead members of the Intelligencia as well as making space for the Trapster to join them and formulate their plans after their predicted shatter of the superhero community. Their meeting was interrupted by Deadpool, who tried to sink the ship where they were, but was defeated by Trapster. Superior Carnage While The Wizard tried to recreate his Frightful Four his newest member attacked him. Thankfully Klaw was able to save him. After the outburst from Carnage, The Wizard thought of ways to control the symbiote, however all of his plans failed. He then recruited Dr. Malus as a new recruit of their Frightful Four and supervised a blood transfusion in order to make the symbiote bond to Dr. Malus so he will be more easily controlled. Along with a new "superior" Carnage, the villains attacked the City Hall in order to take over New York, but they found themselves against Spider-Man. During the battle, The Wizard lost control over Carnage, and Malus went rogue. Using a vibranium blade he found in The Wizard's hideout, Carnage stabbed Klaw in revenge. The disruption of Klaw's sonic body caused by the vibrainum made the villain explode, taking the symbiote from him in the process. The symbiote bonded with The Wizard, fixing his mental illness in the process. While he was bonded to symbiote he was yelling: "Where is my family!?! However, the bonding was short-lived as Spider-Man took Cletus Kasady to the scene in order to contain the symbiote as soon as it abandoned The Wizard over his preference to Cletus. The Fall of the Fantastic Four After escaping custody, The Wizard reformed the Frightful Four with the members of the Wrecking Crew, minus Piledriver. They attacked the Thing and the depowered Johnny Storm in Times Square. During the fight, to which the rest of the Fantastic Four joined, the members of the Frightful Four demonstrated increased powers, with which they almost defeated the heroes, until the FF replacement team led by Ant-Man arrived to help them and finally capture the villains in one of Invisible Woman's force fields until S.H.I.E.L.D. arrived. As they were being taken into custody, The Wizard revealed that the attack had been financed by a bigger enemy, and that they did their part. The Wizard was later freed by the same individual who financed his attack, and gave him more resources to reform the Fightful Four. Using members of Salem's Seven, The Wizard attacked Chicago to get the attention of Mister Fantastic. Richards was almost defeated by the Frightful Four until the Scarlet Witch appeared to help him. | Powers = | Abilities = He is a genius-level inventor specializing in physics, sub-atomic particles and other dimensions. | Strength = | Weaknesses = Formerly, The Wizard suffered from a progressive mental illness which caused him blackouts and memory loss. However, this condition was cured once Wizard shortly bonded with the Carnage Symbiote. | Equipment = * Wizard Armor: His powers are derived from the weapons and inventions incorporated into his battle-suit. The suit is slightly armored and can generate a force-field of considerable strength. * Power Gloves: His power gloves enhance his strength, can fire energy blasts and project his "Typhoon Sphere" around a target (creates an area of buffeting winds and forces around a target). The gloves can also mimic the powers of the Fantastic Four. * Anti-Gravity Disc: also carried multiple of his world-renowned anti-grav discs or "Flight Discs", which allow him to fly, move objects and incapacitate his victims. *'ID Machine:' which he can use to brainwash and take over other people's minds. | Transportation = *'Anti-Gravity Airship:' He sometimes uses an anti-gravity airship for transport. | Weapons = | Notes = * The Wizard early appearances a reprinted in various comics such as Marvel Tales. | Trivia = | Links = }} Category:Armor Users Category:Fantastic Four Villains Category:Avengers Villains Category:Humans Category:Geneticists Category:Superior Spider-Man Villains Category:Clone Masters Category:Robotics Category:Engineers Category:Chemists Category:Physicists